ROTORUA HEADMASTER ON "YOUTH RACKET"

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5278, 13 December 1946, Page 6

ROTORUA HEADMASTER ON "YOUTH RACKET"

Too Little Home Life For Children "I felt very rejuvenated to piok up my morning. paper the other day and see a letter to the editoi*, entitled 'The Youth Racket,' said Mr. W. G. Harwood, headmaster of the Rotorua High School at the annual prizegiving ceremony last night. "I was very pleased to realise that someone is approaching the problem that is facing us to-day," he continued. "It is a eonsiderable problem, but as I read the letter, it appeared that it was an indictment, not of youth, but of their parents. Now this is a problem which we must look at fairly and squarely, and not through rose-coloured glasses." Mr. Harwood urged parents to take a more active interest in their children, and in their children's school. He consid'ered that there was too little home life, and said: "Possihly on the child's next birthday, it would be preferable to have some kinid of entertainment in the home rat'her than by saying: 'All right, Molly, you take 12 of your friends and go along to the pictures." He asked parents if they saw enough of their children, and asked: "Or do your children make their atmosphere under the influence of milk ehakes and American films? If this is so, then I have fears for the community spirit of the taext generation."